Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is data processing, or, more specifically, methods, apparatus, and products for creating environmentally protective coating for integrated circuit assemblies.
Description of Related Art
With the increasingly smaller components and lead/contact pitches on integrated circuits, there is a propensity for leakage generation in the presence of ionics, humidity, and other environmental factors. Current means of circuit/contact protection in integrated circuits, such as ball-grid arrays (BGAs), include injecting underfill material around the solder pins after an infrared reflow process. This procedure, however, has limitations associated with the capillary flow of the underfill. For example, the viscosity of the underfill material must be fine-tuned to the BGA pitch in order to ensure that each ball in encapsulated. Moreover, since the flow of the underfill to the center of the chip is driven solely by capillary action, it can take an inordinate amount of time to achieve full coverage. Consequently, an alternative method to achieve solder ball protection is desired.